Indiana Tai Chi Quan Acadamy

Be diligent in your practice of Peng, Lu.Gi, and An.
Upper and lower coordinate, others find it difficult to penetrate,
Let others attack with great force. Use 4 ounces to deflect 1000 pounds.
Attract to emptiness and discharge. Attach without loosing the attachment.
Energy is rooted in the feet, develops in the legs, is directed by the waist and moves up in the fingers.

Saturday, June 2, 2018

After many years of dedicated practice, Sifu Mike mastered the WuDang 108 form taught by Mr. Bill, Master Huang and the Grand Masters in China. Due to the skills and understanding gathered in this quest, Mike is recognized as a WuDang Tai Chi Master.

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I have never been attracted to gaudiness, braggadocio, ego, or assertiveness. It is the beauty of nature and natural behavior that I prefer. The study of the WuDan Taiji system felt natural to me. Over time, I came to understand that there is another name for this natural way: The Tao.It is logical and natural to my understanding that I want to draw my opponent's power into a void. It is logical and natural for me to to me to push into the opponents weakness. WuDan Taiji is nature to me, it is The Tao.Water flowing in a mighty stream may at times splash upwards after hitting a rock, spin into an eddy, or fall sharply over a cliff. Water will find a place of little resistance and move there with intensity. The Taiji form teaches that while standing (Wuji), I am able to move up, down, forward, backward, left or right. At another level, one can learn to move in any direction from the platform of moving in any direction. This is one way that study of the 108 form has put me more in touch with nature.Mr. (Master) Bill is a pleasure to associate with. Just seeing him always makes me smile. When I see him, I see one of nature's finest creations, and one who is comfortable with his role in nature. Mr. Bill is a teacher who gives of himself so others may learn the same natural tranquility. Besides teaching the 108 form, he regularly teaches Taiji applications and life lessons. People tend to carry stress in their musculature. Several times each class Mr. Bill will point out that we are not properly relaxed. Realizing this, we make corrections. Then we wonder if other times in our life we could have been more relaxed. The answer to this is always yes.If for no reason other than relaxation, to me, Taiji is a worthwhile life-long practice.I have been teaching the publicly available class for nearly six years. It has been a great pleasure to meet new students and observe them having "ah-ha" moments as they progress. It is a great source of pride that some of my students have continued their training and are nearly Master's themselves. In hindsight, these people are not the same as when I first met them. They are more poised, they walk with more confidence and balance. They move easily, with the parts of their bodies in sync. They are becoming more like nature intended. Time spent without making changes is unnatural. Fortunately, I still have the rest of my life to further my study in nature, Taiji, and the Tao.Instructor Mike
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As he continues his personal studies, Sifu Mike continues to teach the public class consisting of a set of daily exercises, chi development exercises, the 108 form, and some life lessons thrown in as a bonus. Throughout these classes, every intention is to teach the next generation of students in a manner that is consistent with the teachings of the Grand Masters.